The Tomboy Cake

Inspired by a style of cake from California’s Miette bakeries, we frost the top and middle layers of this stunner but leave the sides naked to showcase the almond cake. Don’t have a pastry bag or star tip to frost the layers? Fill a resealable plastic bag with the frosting, snip off a corner, and pipe away.GET THE RECIPE

Yellow Layer Cake with Chocolate–Sour Cream Frosting

Forget the boxed version you grew up with. This yellow cake recipe gets a rich dark-chocolate frosting with a touch of tang thanks to sour cream. For the best presentation, it’s important to cut the cake layers evenly. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.GET THE RECIPE

Buttermilk Cake with Sour Milk Jam and Gin-Poached Cherries

This is one of those sleeper recipes that’s more complex-tasting than it sounds. Each element is supereasy to prepare and can be made days in advance, but the finished dessert is a stunner.GET THE RECIPE